


After the Shake Up

by littlesolo



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-08-12 16:22:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 877
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7941169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littlesolo/pseuds/littlesolo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post Civil War, the Avengers are over.  Natasha sees Maria in a new light.  </p>
<p>*Pierto is alive</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It starts with a duffle bag next to the couch.  Maria won’t actually see Natasha for a week, but her things are in her apartment.  Maria doesn’t even bother to wonder how Natasha knew where she lived.  

There aren’t a lot of people Natasha trusts, in fact  she had thought the spy would retreat to Barton’s farm, but instead she’s here.  Or not here but occupying the same space.  Her couch shows signs of use the first night so Maria lays out sheets and a pillow and extra towels in the bathroom.  She touched that Natasha values their friendship this much.  Maria leaves out the take out menus and half a pizza in the fridge for her new house mate.  

Maria is also visited by the Scarlet Witch, who now seems even more lost than after Sokovia.  Even though Pietro hadn't been in the battle physically, this was the first time the Twins had not acted as a united front, Pietro siding with Stark on the Accords.  Wanda asks for help looking for an under the radar apartment.  Clint had extended an invitation to the farm, but she couldn't stay there forever.  Maria wonders if she knows that only days ago Pietro had asked for the same thing.  Given the witch's powers, she might.  None of this is what Maria had wanted.  Initially, she had been against the Avengers idea but then she wanted to see the Twins blossom and flourish under the guidance of the others.  Now Wanda's fear of her own powers follows her like a shadow.  She's stubborn though, and that gives Maria hope.  

Vodka is added to the fridge the second night.  


	2. Natasha's POV

Something had drawn Natasha to the Deputy Director's home.  Clint had reminded her of her room in the guest house, but she felt she should give him some space.  She had tried to keep him out of it all but had succeeded in only getting him locked up and away from his family.  

So here she is, at Maria's mostly unused apartment.  

She had been angry at first, Maria's absence just as notable as Fury's.  Actually Fury was probably smart by staying away but Natasha had at least expected an appearance at Peggy's funeral.  So she had gone hunting.  It turned out Maria had been tasked with watching over Pietro Maximoff, who was still recovering from his wounds after Sokovia.  She had just watched.  For some reason she couldn't bring herself to approach her, so she just watched as the Commander glared at Pietro when ever he pushed himself too hard and presumably kept in touch with Fury.  She had missed the funeral of her adoptive aunt to guard the Maximoff boy.  Natasha had to admire that sort of dedication.  Knowing Ross, if he knew Pietro was alive, he'd have him stashed away somewhere too.  She had watched as the sliver haired Maximoff had made Maria Hill laugh more than once.  The sight and sound made her smile but the fact that it was Pietro's doing didn't sit well with her for some reason.  It almost felt like jealousy.  

With the Avengers now over and her records just a click away, she suspects that there are any number of individuals after her now so she can't stay in one place long.  And yet she feels safe in Maria's minimalist apartment.  There's a modern theme to the home with floating bookshelves that hide a small pistol, a steamer trunk used as an end table near the door.  Decorative defense.  

There are little things that make it personal though.  The papyrus bookmarks that mark pages in books.  A snapshot from Tehran.  Trinket from Moscow.  Snow globe from Reykjavik.  There are framed photos of her towards the master bedroom.  Maria and Sharon and Sharon's younger brother Kevin. all looking about the age of twelve.  One of them with Peggy and another of just her and Sharon.  She doesn't enter Maria's room.  On the fridge there are snapshots that Natasha recognizes.  Ones taken by Clint when he gets bored.  There's one of Maria with her arm around Nat's shoulders at one of Stark's parties.  She wonders if they'll ever all be like that again.  For now though she'll rest her head for a bit and regroup.  

* * *

She avoids Maria at first, not knowing what to say.  Maria makes her feel welcome and at home without a word or even a note.  There are take out menus, a flyer for the nearby farmers market, and a number for grocery delivery.  The vodka is welcome because it's something she knows, but for some reason it feels out of place here.  Probably because Maria is more of a whiskey person, always going for an old Scotch or good bourbon.  She leaves Thai leftovers for Maria, but she doesn't come home for another two days.  

She listens as she helps out the young witch and silver speedster.  General Ross is just going to have to search that much harder for them.  On the plus side, Washington DC can only maintain a city wide search for about a week and that was over two weeks ago.  

"Hi" she says when Maria comes home after her two day stretch.  Maria looks exhausted but pleased to see her.  

"Hi."  

It's a start.  

 


End file.
